Angels & Demons
by Lythiriel
Summary: When an assassin captures four cardinals and threatens to kill them one at a time, each hour, Sara must help symbolist Robert Langdon preventing a terrorist act, thereby also discovering things about her past. Follows the plot of the 2009 movie. Olivetti/OC
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Angels &amp; Demons or any of its characters!

**A/N:** Before you start reading: I'd like to apologise for my Italian! I did have lessons once, but a very long time ago and I'm afraid it's a bit rusty and various translation sites had to help me out. If any natives are reading this story and (most likely) find mistakes: I'm so so sorry.

* * *

_The room was full of darkness and a burning smell tickled her nose, which automatically wrinkled. Disgusting. She shuddered as a cool breeze swiped her skin and her heart started to race as a sudden fear overtook her mind. Everything within her told her to run, as fast as she could, but she couldn't move. Something was holding her back. As she looked down on her body, she noticed that her clothes were torn, but there were no chains that could possibly keep her from moving. Every passing second the fear grew stronger. Then a voice sounded in the distance. She couldn't make out what exactly the voice was trying to say, but it definitely belonged to a man. Tears started to fall down her cheeks and she felt like the fear and darkness would squash her at any second._

_"Dad!", someone shouted, as the person finally was close enough that she could make out his silhouette. Startled she looked around, until she realised that it had indeed been her shouting for her father. But why? She never knew him; didn't know what he looked like or who he was. In the next second someone abruptly grabbed her from behind, pulling her deeper and deeper into the darkness. The last thing she saw was a flame and a sculpture that looked like an angel in the far distance, before the darkness consumed her._

The young woman woke with a start. Her breathing still fast and unsteady as she sat up on the bed. Her right hand automatically stroked through her brown waves. A quick glance at the clock told her that she still had half an hour before she had to get up for work. Sighing she stood and opened the curtains to let the morning sunlight into the huge bedroom. She crossed her arms in front of her body and tried to enjoy the beautiful view of the rising sun behind the huge basilica of St. Peter. It hadn't been the first time that she had dreamed the exact dream. It was always darkness, flames, an angel and her father. Then someone would grab her from behind, pull her into the darkness and sometimes she would even wake with a scream. She shuddered at these images, whose meanings she couldn't possibly fathom. Again her eyes fixed onto the basilica of St. Peter and somehow she felt herself relax. Its beauty didn't give away any of the grief that was currently spreading through the streets. She had never been a deeply spiritual person, although her mother had been a Catholic through and through and had tried to confer this lifestyle to her daughter. In this sense she took after her father, at least her mother had always told her so. Her father. Never before in her lifetime had she dreamed of her father, never before did the void he left feel so huge. Not knowing who or where he was right now and if she ever got to meet him hadn't really bothered her until now. Intuitively her other hand touched her engagement ring. Maybe her engagement had brought up these feelings that she had hidden deep within her for so long. After all… who would walk her up the aisle?

"Buongiorno amore", his husky voice sounded from the bed and she turned back to the handsome man still covered by the white duvet. A slight smile graced her pink lips and she walked back to the bed, sitting down beside him. "Morning", she responded before she leaned in to kiss him, but it didn't sound as enthusiastic as she intended. Of course he instantly caught the hesitant tone in her voice and furled his eyebrows. "Stai bene?"

Slowly she nodded. "Sì, sì. Sto bene. Ho avuto un brutto sogno…. ancora una volta…" He sighed and pulled her closer to him.

Both of them entered the headquarters of the _Corpo della Gendarmeria dello Stato della Città del Vaticano _about an hour later. As soon as they set foot into the building, their boss – Dr. Domenico Giano – walked towards them. By the look on his face she instantly augured ill. "Buongiorno", they greeted unison, but he only replied: "Sara, il mio ufficio, subito", thereby pointing at the young woman, before he went on.

'Oh just great', she thought. Ever since she started to work here Giani had had a down on her and it felt like he was just waiting for a good reason to finally get rid of her. Especially in the Vatican the _Gendarmeria _was a job dominated by men and although there was no law prohibiting women as police officers working in the worlds smallest state, Giani was strictly against the idea.

Sara gave her partner a knowing look, before she followed her boss into his office. The big wooden desk was set in front of the window, from which one had a wonderful view over Vatican City. A wooden bookshelf filled with old books stood on the right wall. She was dying to browse through them but she knew that that was never going to happen.

"Siediti", he said and pulled her out of her thoughts. Sara did as she was told and looked at him anticipated. "Devi volare negli Stati Uniti. New York per essere esattamente." The young woman raised her eyebrows. "Perchè?"

"Abbiamo bisongo di un agente special in occasione della riunione delle Nazioni Unite." And he needed _her _to do that? Couldn't he send someone else? "Quando tempe ci si mette?", she wanted to know.

"Per tre gionri, forse. Il tuo elicottero parte questa sera."

Oh okay. Great. He wanted her to fly tonight and it sounded like everything was already settled. He didn't ask her to go, he ordered her to, although he had people who were more experienced with such debates, such as Vincenzi for example… "Ma per quanto riguarda il Conclave?" As soon as she had finished the question it hit her. That's why he wanted her gone. Conclave. A few days ago the news of the pope's death sent a wave of sadness over the earth, especially the Vatican. Conclave would start tomorrow and the arrival of its members as well as the ceremony required as much security as possible. Security levels would be doubled and Giani needed everyone he could get, except _her._

"Ci sono abbastanza uomini di altri", he simply answered her question. "La signora Moretti ha I tickets e ogni ulteriore informazione si ha bisogno", he added not giving her any breath to start a discussion. "Grazie", she then said and stood, leaving the room with mixed feelings. A part of her still couldn't believe his way of thinking. Hadn't she proved more than once that he could trust her? The young woman came to a halt in front of Giani's secretary. "Giani ha detto hai qualcosa per me?" The blonde woman in front of her nodded and then handed her the documents. Sara thanked her and then made her way to her office. As she entered her partner sat at his desk, fighting with the computer as always. Sara smiled slightly as the Italian uttered any kind of swearwords he could think of. "Sai che non aiuta se tu gridi a questo", she said and sat down on her chair. She put the documents down, supported her elbows on the desk and placed her head in her palms. "Lo so", he sighed and then turned his attention to the woman. "Che cosa voleva?"

"Egli vuole liberarsi di me… letteralmente…"

Her partner furrowed his eyebrows. "Cosa significa…?"

"Conclave. Lui non mi vuole qui turante esso. Cosi si è sbarazzato di me… devo volare a New York. Questa sera. Per tre giorni, forse…"

"Non credo…"

"Of course. Why would he send me then?", she wanted to know and it sounded more annoyed than she intended to. "This is so ridiculous", she added in a more severe tone. Whenever she had to say what she was thinking, or when she was angry, sad, etc. she always fell back into English. It was her second mother tongue after all. Her mother – Chiara Salvatore – was Italian by birth, moved to America to study and met Sara's father at the university. That's basically all she knew about her father. To be honest, she didn't even know if he knew that she existed. Chiara moved back to Italy when Sara was still a baby. Like her mother, Sara went to America to study, but she could never imagine living her life there. So after finishing her qualification Sara moved back to Italy. 'Til this day Sara wondered why Giani recruited her in the first place when he so disliked the thought of it. Because Giani distrusted her so much he allocated her a partner – Ernesto Olivetti. Little did he know that after a few years they would be more than just partners. For Giani another reason to have her on arms length. Their relationship had no impact on their work so he had nothing that he could use against them.

Ernesto now came towards her, placing his hands on her shoulders to calm her. "Fiducia", he said and Sara had to laugh. "Yeah… no, he doesn't trust me at all."

* * *

Buongiorno amore - Good morning darling.  
Stai bene? - You ok?  
Sì, sì. Sto bene. Ho avuto un brutto sogno…. ancora una volta… - Yes, yes. I'm fine. Just had the nightmare... again...  
Sara, il mio ufficio, subito - Sara, in my office, now.  
Siediti - Sit down.  
Devi volare negli Stati Uniti. New York per essere esattamente. - I need you to fly to the United States. New York to be exact.  
Perchè? - Why?  
Abbiamo bisongo di un agente special in occasione della riunione delle Nazioni Unite. - We need a special agent for the meeting at the UN.  
Quando tempe ci si mette? - For how long would I be gone?  
Per tre gionri, forse. Il tuo elicottero parte questa sera. - For three days, probably. Your chopper flies this evening.  
Ma per quanto riguarda il Conclave? - But what about conclave?  
Ci sono abbastanza uomini di altri. - We have other agents for that.  
La signora Moretti ha I tickets e ogni ulteriore informazione si ha bisogno. - Mrs. Moretti has your tickets and all other information you might need.  
Giani ha detto hai qualcosa per me? - Giani said you have something for me?  
Sai che non aiuta se tu gridi a questo. - You know, it doesn't really help when you shout at it.  
Lo so. - I know.  
Che cosa voleva? - What did he want?  
Egli vuole liberarsi di me… letteralmente… - Get rid of me, literally.  
Cosa significa…? - What do you mean?  
Conclave. Lui non mi vuole qui turante esso. Cosi si è sbarazzato di me… devo volare a New York. Questa sera. Per tre giorni, forse… - Conclave. He doesn't want me here, so I need to fly to New York. Tonight. For three days.  
Non credo… - I don't think so.  
Fiducia. - Trust.


	2. Chapter 2

It had been his tenth round, as he suddenly took notice of a clacking sound caused by heels on tiles. The around fifty year old man didn't stop swimming but rather watched the young woman from the corner of his eye as she made her way to the end of the pool. He stopped as he reached her, took off his goggles and supported himself on the edge of the pool. "A swim might help your jet leg", he said as he surveyed her for a moment. Sara looked at him confused. "I beg your pardon?"

"You got bags under your eyes. It's 5 in the morning and you're from the Vatican." Even more confused she raised her eyebrows. Tired wasn't even beginning to describe how she felt at the moment. Two days had passed since she had arrived in New York. Two days filled with endless boring discussions at the U.N. headquarters. Oh how she hated bureaucracy. It just wasn't her kind of thing. But then Ernesto had called her in the middle of the night, telling her news that shocked her to the very core. "Crossed keys under the triregnum", the man explained and pulled her out of her thoughts. Sara looked at her black briefcase and then turned her attention back to the man in front of her as he said: "It's a papal symbol."

Now she noticed the irritated look on his face. Sara instantly thought that he was judging her, but she was too tired to give in to that now so she simply stated: "Sara Salvatore. Corpo della Gendarmeria Vaticano." Again the startled look in his eyes as she said her name, surprised her, but she chose to ignore it.

"Vatican police? I was expecting another letter", he said. Now it was her turn to look startled. "My request for access to your archives. Shouldn't you be in Rome? A kind of busy time for you guys, isn't it?"

"In fact, I was in New York. Detailed to the U.N. I received a phone call in the middle of the night: find Professor Robert Langdon. A matter of great urgency", Sara explained and opened her briefcase. She then showed him the piece of paper Ernesto sent her. "They said to show you this."

His eyes widened as they fixed onto the paper. Sara had guessed that as soon as he saw the symbols he'd immediately be as keen as mustard. She tried to suppress a grin as he climbed out of the pool and told her to wait outside while he changed. The indoor aquatic centre was located at campus so they weren't far from his office. Sara was casually leaning against the wall, enjoying the warm rays of the Massachusetts sunshine and trying not to fall asleep, as Robert came back to her. With his hand he gestured her to follow him. "You're American?", he wanted to know. "You speak without Italian accent."

Sara smiled slightly. "Half American heritage, yes. I also studied here in America, which would explain my accent, but my home is Italy." Robert nodded before she turned the subject back to the main point. "The Illuminati?", Sara asked, handing him the paper once more. "They disappeared hundreds of years ago."

"Did they? Look at that again. It's an ambigram. It's the same image forward and backward. Now, that's common for a symbol like a yin and yang or a swastika… but that's a word. That Illuminati ambigramtic symbol has been considered a myth for 400 years. Supposedly in the sixteenth century some artist created it as a tribute to Galileo's love for symmetry. It was only gonna be revealed when the Illuminati had amassed enough power to resurface and carry out their final goal. I wrote a book about it… Which is why you're here…?"

"_The Art of the Illuminati_ by Robert Langdon", Sara stated. Yes, she had done a little research about him on the way here.

"Part one. Haven't been able to finish part two because I'm not allowed access to your archives."

Sara sighed. Well, technically she had nothing to do with the Swiss Guard and their rules. About two minutes later they had arrived at his office. It was beautifully decorated and filled with old books. Robert took one out and quickly opened a page, on which various ambigrams where printed. "It's remarkable. Singular. Someone is trying to make you believe the Illuminati themselves have returned to Rome. Right after the death of a pope."

Sara lowered her head before she spoke. "Four cardinals were kidnapped from inside the Vatican sometimes between three and five am this morning. Shortly afterward that document was sent to the Office of the Swiss Guard along with the threat the cardinals will be publicly executed one per hour, beginning at 8pm tonight in Rome."

Robert listened carefully and Sara noticed a flash of shock in his eyes before he spoke again: "Conclave…"

"Was to begin today. We've postponed its start for a few hours, a story of illness. There are no suspicions, yet."

"What do you want from me?", he then wanted to know.

"These criminals who sent this ambigram meant it as a taunt, a provocation. But Captain Olivetti thinks if you can use it to learn their identity perhaps we can stop this abomination."

"Why me?"

Sara sighed. "Your expertise… your erudition… Your recent involvements with certain Church… shall we say mysteries?" Yes, she had heard about the murder in Paris' most famous museum and the new clues found in Da Vinci paintings, which should have never been discovered.

"I wasn't under the impression that episode had endeared me to the Vatican."

The young woman had to smile slightly. "Oh it didn't. But it did make you… formidable. A Vatican jet is standing by 20 minutes form here. Will you come with me?"

Robert looked away, clearly deeply in thought and Sara continued: "Professor Langdon, you've spent your life searching for symbols like the one you now hold in your hand. How much longer are we going to pretend you've not already decided to come?" He didn't even have to answer. The look in his eyes told her that she had hit the right spot. So she took out her BlackBerry and informed the pilot that they were on their way.


	3. Chapter 3

**GoldenDrqgonLol: **Thank you for your nice comment, I really appreciate it!

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"Ci siamo quasi. Abbiamo appena attraversato il confine in Italia", Sara informed Ernesto on the phone. They had been in the air for a few hours now and were just crossing the border to Italy. She had tried to get some rest, but it was pointless. Her body would just not allow her to relax. "If the Illuminati have returned and are in Rome, we will hunt them down and kill them", she then said as she had hung up again, surprising herself with it. "The Illuminati did not become violent until the 17th century. Their name means _the enlightened ones. _They were physicists and mathematicians, astronomers. They were concerned with the Church's inaccurate teaching and were dedicated to scientific truth. But the Vatican didn't like that. So the Church began to, how did you say it? Oh, hunt them down and kill them. Drove them underground. Into a secret society", Robert countered.

Sara nodded slightly, turning her attention on the city below them again. They had just reached Rome. The sun was rising behind the Colosseum, as the helicopter made it's way towards Vatican City. Ernesto had sent a car to pick them up from the heliport. The heliport and the car were the only options one had to leave Vatican City. There was no airport, just a train station, but that was used only for goods and not passenger transportation. As her tired limbs hit the comfortable leather seats of the black Lancia Delta, she finally felt herself relax a bit. 'I'm so ready for bed', she thought to herself, but there were more important matters at hand right now. Just as they stepped out of the car, the Capitano came up to greet them. "Professor Langdon. Welcome to Vatican City", he said and briefly shook the American's hand. "Ernesto Olivetti, inspector general of the Vatican police force."

"My pleasure", Robert answered.

Ernesto gave Sara a warm smile, which she happily returned, before they started to head inside. "This way please", Ernesto gestured. "We'll meet in the headquarters of the Swiss Guard."

"I thought you were Swiss Guard…?"

Ernesto shot him a surprised look and Sara had to supress a laugh. "No. La Gendarmeria. We are responsible for everything inside the Vatican walls with the exception of the security of His Holiness and the Apostolic Palace. _That _is Swiss Guard. The Roman carabinieri are here as well in an advisory capacity."

"So, jurisdictionally this is…"

"A Goddamn nightmare", Ernesto responded.

As they made their way through the corridor, Sara's heels made those clacking sound on the cobbles and in that moment she wished she had worn flats. Not because of the sound, but because they were starting to kill her.

"Oh yes, Pope Pius IX's great castration", Robert said as they passed a few statues. Swiss Guard's stood along the line and Sara always respected them. She could not imagine how hard it must be to stand in the same spot for a long time, not being allowed to move an inch. "I beg your pardon?", Ernesto interposed.

"1856, Pope Pius IX felt the male form would inspire lust. So he took a hammer and chisel and unmanned hundreds of these statues", Robert explained.

"The plaster fig leaves were added later", Sara added, more to herself than anything, but both men looked at her in surprise. Sara shrugged. 'What? Can't I be nerdy?', she added in her thoughts.

"Are you anti-Catholic, Professor Langdon?", Ernesto then wanted to know.

"No. I'm anti-vandalism", Robert explained the the Capitano nodded.

"I urge you to guard your tone here. The Swiss Guard is a calling, not a profession and it encourages a certain zealotry. Commander Richter, the head of the Guard is a deeply spiritual man and he was close to the late pope. Understood?"

"Look, I don't study symbols because I consider them unimportant. Ceremony, traditions, it's how we mark you lives. I just… hope I can help."

"So do I. You were my idea", Ernesto smiled slightly and then opened the door to the headquarters of the Guard. He briefly indicated the Professor to sit down on one of the chairs – "Wait here, please" – before Sara and him made their way to the Commander. He didn't look pleased at all. Not even as they informed them that Langdon was here. Richter wasn't convinced that the Professor would be able to help them in the matter, plus he didn't approve of the man's recent involvements with the Church. "What a relief, the symbolist is here", he said disdainful, before he turned his attention to the woman sitting beside Robert. "This way please Miss Vetra." Without another look at Robert he made his way into his office, followed by Vetra, Sara, Ernesto and Robert.

"The canister was stolen from our lab around noon yesterday. The intruder killed my research partner, Silvano Bentivolgio and multilated him in order to bypass security. We use retinal scanners. They cut out his eye", she explained.

"Is that your stolen canister, Miss Vetra?", Richter asked and pointed at a computer screen. "Where is that camera number 86?"

"It's wireless. It too was stolen. It could be anywhere inside the Vatican", Ernesto explained.

"That canister contains an extremely combustible substance. Called antimatter. We need to locate it immediately or evacuate Vatican City."

"I'm quite familiar with incendiaries, Miss Vetra. I've never heard of antimatter being used as such…", Richter stated.

"Well, it's never been generated in significant quantities before. It's a way of studying the origin of the universe to try to isolate what some people call the God particle. But there are implications for energy research…"

Richter raised his eyebrows. "The God particle?"

"What we call it isn't important", Vittoria sighed. "It's what gives all matter mass. The thing without which we could not exist."

"You're talking about _the _moment of creation", Robert interposed and she nodded. "Yes. In a way, I am. The antimatter is suspended there, in an airtight nanocomposite shell electromagnets in each end, but if it were to fall out of suspension and come in contact with matter say, the bottom of the canister, the two opposing forces would annihilate one another violently."

"And what might cause it to fall out of suspension?"

"The battery going dead. Which it will, just before midnight."

"What kind of annihilation?", Sara wanted to know. "How violent?"

"A cataclysmic event. A blinding exposing equivalent to about five kilotons", Vittoria answered in such a threatening voice that it sent chills down Sara's spine.

"Vatican City will be consumed by light", Robert said more to himself than anyone else, but Richter picked it up. "Those are the exact words the kidnapper used."

_We will destroy your four pillars. We will brand your preferiti and sacrifice them on the alters of science, then bring your church down upon you. Vatican City will be consumed by light. A shining star at the end of the Path of Illumination._

The voice of the kidnapper sounded through the room after Richter had started the video that was sent to the office this morning. His deep accent gave away that he was neither American nor Italian. Sara shuddered as the camera went along the imprisoned cardinals. Even though they clung to their cross necklaces, their fear and distress was still clearly visible in their eyes. Ernesto's hand found its way – unnoticed by the others – onto her under warm and she felt herself relax a little bit.

"It's the ancient Illuminati threat", Robert stated. "Destruction of Vatican City through light. Four pillars, there's your kidnapped cardinals. You didn't tell me they were the preferiti, the favourites to be named the next pope", he said, looking at Sara. She sighed and rubbed her eyes, too tired for an argument, but before she could say anything Robert added: "Play it again."

_We will destroy your four pillars. We will brand your preferiti…_

"Wait, stop it. Stop it… Brand them. That's another Illuminati legend. This one says that there is a set of five brands… each one an ambigram. The first four are the fundamental elements of science: Earth, air, fire and water. The fifth, it's a mystery… Maybe it's this", Robert suggested and handed Sara the piece of paper, on which the ambigram was printed on. "He said they'd be killed publicly", Richter interposed.

"Yes. Revenge for la purga…"

Richter shot him a confused look. "La purga?"

"Oh jeez. You guys don't even read your own history, do you? 1688, the Church kidnapped four Illuminati scientists and branded each one of them on the chest with the symbol of the cross to purge them of their sins, and they executed them. Threw their bodies into the street as a warning to others to stop questioning Church rulings on scientific matters. They radicalized them. The purge created a darker, more violent Illuminati one bent on retribution. Look how they intended to finally get it: Using antimatter, technology, to destroy the Church. Science obliterates religion. Is there any more?"

_… __and sacrifice them on the alters of science, then bring your church down upon you. Vatican City will be consumed by light. A shining star at the end of the Path of Illumination._

"Path of Illumination…" Robert thought for a second, before he addressed Richter once more. "I need access to the Vatican archives." But Richter simply laughed.

"Professor, I don't think this is the appropriate moment…", Ernesto suggested.

"Your petition has been denied seven times", Richter finally interposed.

"No, no. This has nothing to do with my work. The Path of Illumination is a hidden trail that leads to the Church of the Illumination the place where the Illuminati would meet in secret. If I can find the segno, the sign that marks the beginning of that path, the four churches along it may be where he intends to murder your cardinals. One every hour at 8, 9, 10 and 11. Then the device explodes at midnight. If we can figure out the first church and get there before he does maybe we can stop it. But I can't find the start of the path until I get into the archives."

"Even if I wanted to help you, access to the archives is only by written decree by the curator and the Board of Vatican Librarians", Richter explained.

"Or… by papal mandate."

"Yes, but as you no doubt have heard, the Holy Father is dead."

"What about il camerlengo?"

"The camerlengo is just a priest here, the former pope's chamberlain."

"Doesn't the power of the Holy Seat rest in him during tempe sede vacante?"

Richter was taken aback for a second and shot him an askant look. Sara had to suppress a laugh. She hadn't seen Richter being out of speech ever before and it was a sight she rather enjoyed.

"Fellas, you called me."

This man clearly knew what he was talking about and even though she didn't know him, she somehow trusted him and knew that he could help them. Richter nodded slightly and looked a bit crestfallen.

* * *

Ci siamo quasi. Abbiamo appena attraversato il confine in Italia. - We are almost there. Just passed the frontier.


	4. Chapter 4

Thank you all for the lovely comments! I'm so sorry I'm only publishing this now, but uni has been very demanding the last couple of months.

* * *

"His Holiness once told me a pope was a man torn between the real world and the divine. It seems the real world is upon us tonight. I'm familiar with Illuminati lore and the legend of the brandings. La Purge is a dark stain on this Church's history. I'm not surprised this ghost has returned to haunt us," the Camerlengo said and Langdon seemed a bit surprised. Sara however interpreted it differently. "Comandante, have you begun to search for this explosive device?"

"Of course, but it could be anywhere. My primary concern at the moment is the safety of the cardinals."

"The Sistine Chapel is a fortress. As long as the cardinals are in conclave, your security concerns are at a minimum. Devote as many of our resources…"

"Signori if you're about to suggest a naked-eye search of the entire Vatican City. I will tell you we do not have the people…"

"Commander. Though I am not His Holiness, when you are addressing me you are addressing this office. Do you understand?" the Camerlengo interrupted him midsentence. Again, Richter looked quite dumbstruck. "Yes, Father," he said a bit embarrassed. A small smile played across Ernesto's lips and Sara slightly poked him in the side. He looked at her quizzically and an amused smile started to play on her lips as well. Oh she really could get used to this.

"You said the image on the screen was illuminated by artificial light. Might I suggest methodically cutting power to various sections of the city? When the image on the screen goes dark, you'll have a specific idea of the camera's location."

Richter nodded and the Camerlengo turned to Vittoria. "Dr. Vetra, besides yourself and your research partner, who else knew about this antimatter project?"

"No one but the research team. This project was strictly confidential. But Silvano kept detailed journals. If he told anyone else about what we were doing, he would have made a note."

"Do you have these journals?"

"I can have them flown from Geneva in an hour."

"Please."

Vittoria nodded and instantly fetched her phone out of her pocket to inform her team. The Camerlengo then turned his attention to Robert. "Professor Langdon," he said and indicated him to follow. The others watched as the two men disappeared behind another door. "Mr. Langdon, you are correct that I may grant you access to the archives…"

"Thank you, Padre" Robert interrupted.

"I said that you were correct that I may, not that I will. Christianity's most sacred codices are in that archive. Given your recent entanglements with the Church there is a question I'd like to ask you first, here in the office of His Holiness." Patrick walked towards the Professor and came to a halt only a centimetre before him. "Do you believe in God, sir?"

"Father, I simply believe that religion…"

"I did not ask if you believe what man says about God. I asked if _you_ believe in God."

"I'm an academic. My mind tells me I will never _understand _God."

"And your heart?"

"Tells me I'm not meant to. Faith is a gift, that I have yet to receive."

Patrick lowered his head, slightly impressed of what the Professor had said. "Be delicate with our treasures."

"He's good. I like him," Sara said, as she stood outside with Ernesto to wait for Robert's return. "Non ho mai saputo che erano interessati alla storia dell'arte", Ernesto responded and Sara shrugged. "È una mia vecchia passione and besides… there are a few things you still don't know about me," Sara smiled mischievously. The look he then shot her sent chills down her spine. Oh how much she wanted to kiss him in this very second, but there were people around and it would certainly not be professional. Just then Robert came back to them with the allowance of the Camerlengo to venture through the archives. They were on their way to the library as Vittoria shouted after them: "Professor Langdon!" They stopped so that she could catch up. "If this path really leads to the Church of Illumination that may be where they've hidden the antimatter," she said and Robert seemed to light up immediately. "A shining start at the end of the path. I thought so too."

Sara couldn't help but smile slightly. 'They don't spoil two marriages,' she thought.

"Follow the path. We may find the canister."

"Can you deactivate the device?" Sara interposed.

"I can change the batteries as long as we have more than five minutes. That would give us another 24 hours to get it safely back to CERN."

Sara nodded and they headed along. The officers up front, followed by the two academics. "What are we looking for in the archives?" Vittoria wanted to know.

"A bound volume written by Galileo," Robert answered.

"Galileo was Illuminati?"

"Yeah. And an obedient Catholic who didn't think that Church and science were enemies, but a different language telling the same story. He wanted like minds to find the Church of Illumination, but he couldn't exactly advertise its location so he created a coded path…"

As they walked up the stairs, the light suddenly went off. "Richter has started to turn off the power of various grids. It'll be back on in a minute," Ernesto explained and they continued their way. "Then some unknown Illuminati master sculpted four statues. Each one a tribute to one of the fundamental elements earth, air, fire, water and placed the statues out in public in churches throughout Rome. Each statue held a clue pointing to the next", Robert explained further. "At the end of the path was the Church of Illumination. If you could find that, you were one of them."

"What makes you think he's going to murder in the churches?" Sara wanted to know.

"The Illuminati called those four churches by the special name _L'Altare della scienza._"

"Sacrifice them on the altars of science, he said."

"Exactly."

As they finally came to a halt at the entrance of the archives, Robert's face lit up immediately. "Oh, wow. Look at this." His dream had finally come true. He was about to set foot into a place, that held so many documents that not even the most diligent archivists were able to conflate all of them. Ernesto entered the password and the doors to the lift opened. With his head he indicated them to enter. "An officer of the Swiss Guard will meet you downstairs."

Sara and Ernesto watched as they disappeared downstairs, before they headed outside once more. "Come ti senti?", he then wanted to know.

"Tired," she answered honestly and although her make-up was trying to cover the bags under her eyes, he could still make them out. "This to and fro has worn me out and you know how much I hate bureaucracy…"

"Si deve sdraiare per un po'…" Ernesto suggested but Sara shook her head. "No. Se vado a dormire ora, io non sveglierete così presto. And it would make me feel even worse. I'm fine. I'm gonna be fine," she reassured him. "But I'll tell you one thing I'm gonna do." And as Ernesto shot her a questioning look Sara added: "Change my shoes."

* * *

Come ti senti? - How are you feeling?  
Si deve sdraiare per un po'… - Maybe you should talke a nap...


	5. Chapter 5

**Alexandra the Dreamer:** Thank you for your lovely review! I'm glad you like the story. No problem at all, I added all the translations at the end of each chapter. :)

* * *

Sara just came back in comfortable flats, as Robert and Vittoria came running out of the building. Clearly they had found what they were looking for. All four of them jumped into the black Lancia Delta and Ernesto got weaving even before he knew where they were actually headed. "Twenty minutes till 8. Where are we headed?", he wanted to know. "Hold on, hold on. I'll tell you in a minute", Robert said and turned around to Vittoria, who sat on the back seat, accompanied by Sara. "Let me see that page again."

Vittoria handed him a small piece of paper, or it looked rather like papyrus, Sara thought and instantly felt alarmed. "Where did you get that paper?", she therefore wanted to know. "We borrowed it", Vittoria answered.

"From Santi's earthly tomb with demon's hole", Robert read.

"Are you insane?", Ernesto said enraged, his attention on Robert and the street at the same time. Robert just ignored him and read further: "Cross Rome the mystic elements unfold."

Just as Ernesto wanted to say something else, a voice sounded from the speaker. "Mi ascolto", he said and listened to what the other person on the line had to say.

"The path of light is laid, the sacred test. Let angels guide thee on thy lofty quest."

"You removed a document from the Vatican archives?", Sara said enraged, not quite believing what she just witnessed. "She did", Robert said and pointed at Vittoria, who only rolled her eyes at him. "From Santi's earthly tomb. The first marker is at SantI's tomb", she then added after a while. "But who's Santi?"

"Raphael", Sara said, more to herself than to anyone else, but the others had heard her. "Yes", Robert replied, looking a bit impressed.

"Il Rafaello, the sculptor?", Vittoria wanted to know, just to be sure that they were talking about the same person. "Yeah, Santi was his last name", Robert explained.

"So the path starts at Raphael's tomb."

"Raphael's buried at the Pantheon", Ernesto interposed.

"Isn't the Pantheon the church?"

"Oldest Catholic church in Rome." Just as Sara had finished the sentence, Ernesto turned the car sharp to the left, almost knocking over a young boy on a scooter along the way. A sigh escaped Sara's lips. She would never get used to the way Italians drove a car, or any other vehicle for that matter. Just a few minutes later they arrived at the Pantheon. Richter and his team were already waiting. They had informed them on the way. "I just pulled a dozen of our best men for this", Richter said to the small group as they joined him. "You better be right."

"This is one of the busiest spots. He'd never get away with it", Chartrand - a young blonde Swiss Guard - interposed. "The poem implies…", Robert tried to explain, but Richter cut him off mid-sentence. "The poem? Unbelievable. I'm basing this operation on an American's interpretation of a 400-year-old poem?"

Sara stepped up beside Robert and tried to hold back the urge to hit Richter square in the face. He – of all people – should be happy for any little help they could get in finding the preferiti. "The information we have clearly refers to Raphael's tomb", she said and shot Richter a glare. "And Raphael's tomb is inside that building."

"Because the Vatican destroyed all of the pagan statues in the late 1800s, if this is the marker, whatever clues were here to lead us are gone now. The path is dead. So this is it, your only chance", Robert added.

Richter nodded after a while. "Separate approaches. No closer than two blocks and no uniforms. Three minutes. And I need a set of eyes inside", he said to Chartrand who immediately went to do as he was told.

"Excuse me? Two weightlifter in matching black suits and earpieces? They're hardly disguised", Vittoria interposed as she saw two men walk towards to little group.

"Well, it's what I have"; Richter countered.

"Fine, I'll go in."

"You don't have communication. You can't carry a walkie-talkie."

"Tourists have cell phones, don't they?"

Robert now stepped up to Vittoria and Richter. "No, no, you can't send her in there alone", he said.

Richter thought for a moment and then smiled slightly. "All right, I won't"

After they were told what to do, Robert and Vittoria headed for the Pantheon. Sara and Ernesto stayed behind. The young woman didn't really feel all too great about this and started to play with her hands, something she always did when she was nervous. "Si andrà bene", Ernesto suddenly whispered in her hear.

"Spero che tu abbia ragione", she answered, not really relieved.

It felt like an eternity before Robert and Vittoria returned, but what they had to say did not exactly send a wave of happiness through the group. "Wrong? What do you mean?", Richter repeated.

"It's the Chigi Chapel in the church of the Santa Maria del Popolo. It was once called the Capela della Terra, the Chapel of the Earth. Earth, the first element. That's it", Robert explained.

"You were certain about the Pantheon."

"We have four minutes!"

"Wir sind am falschen Platz! Zruck in den Vatikan!", Richter ordered in German and Chartrand immediately turned on his heels to run back to the car.

"Back to the Vatican? You can't!", Vittoria said frustrated.

"If you care at all about your church, you'll listen to me", Robert tried.

"My church? My church comforts the sick and dying. My church feeds the hungry. What does your church do, Mr. Langdon?" As Robert didn't say anything, Richter continued: "That's right, you don't have one." Richter turned on his heels. "Take him if you want. I'm done with him", he said to Ernesto.

Sara panted with rage. How was this now about who believed in God and who didn't? "Well let's go then", she said aloud. In no way would she give up that easily. The Swiss Guard was responsible for the security of the Conclave to which the kidnapped cardinals belonged as well, why Richter suddenly decided to ignore that was inexplicable. It took them not even two minutes to reach the Piazza del Popolo.

"All right, this makes sense. Look, right in front of the church", Robert said and pointed towards the piazza. "An obelisk, a lofty pyramid. Egyptian symbol adopted by the Illuminati. If he's going to kill him, he'll do it here."

Just as they all jumped out of the car the clock struck 8pm. "Eight o'clock", Ernesto announced too and they all spread into action. "Di qua!"

As they entered the church Sara and Ernesto drew their weapons for safety's sake. It didn't take them long to find the right chapel. "Pyramids in a Catholic church. This is it. This is the Chigi Chapel", Robert said.

"Va bene e che cosa abbiamo intenzione di fare ora?", Sara said more to Ernesto than anyone else. Robert let his eyes wander through the room, before they halted on the floor. "The demon's hole. But it's askew", he then said and Ernesto came to his aid. Together they lifted the cover to reveal a ladder leading to the underground of the chapel. "Hand me your flashlight", he said to Sara and she gave it to him. Vittoria covered her mouth as the light revealed a body down in the catacomb. Ernesto and Robert made their way down to confirm that it was the first dead preferiti. You see a lot of things when you work in the police force, but _that _that was beyond anything Sara had ever imagined. Ernesto informed Richter and the Swiss Guard was here in less than five minutes. "Get the body out of there and search the rest of the building", Richter ordered as soon as he had arrived. "Chartrand!"

The young guard immediately came running. "Sir?"

"Outside, a perimeter. Secure but invisible. No lights, no guns, nobody knows. Understand?"

"Yes, sir." Chartrand nodded and did as he was told. It was almost cute how he tried to not make a single mistake. Sara watched as Robert gestured with his hands, clearly explaining something to Vittoria, before he took off outside. Everyone else followed him catching him looking in various directions, before he turned back. "Southwest", he then stated. "It was pointing southwest." Sara guessed that he meant the angles Vittoria and him were standing in front before. "Earth, air, fire, water. We're looking for a Bernini sculpture having something to do with air. The second church is somewhere southwest of here."

"You're sure this time?", Richter wanted to know, but Robert simply ignored him. "I need a map showing all the churches of Rome", before he climbed up a construction site to have a better look around. Sara angrily turned to Richter. "What _is _your problem?" Ernesto's hand instantly found its way onto her shoulder. "Sara."

"No", she said and brushed him off. "If you're only a little bit as clever as you claim to be by all means go and show us the next marker. If not, just be quiet. He is doing everything he can to help an organisation that means everything to millions of people and he does so because he _wants _to. He's helping _your _church and if it means as much to you as you claim then _do _something!"

Richter flashed his eyes at her. "Are you done?"

Sara inhaled and straightened herself. "Yes."

"Good because apparently there are more important things at hand", he said and walked back to the car. Sara rolled her eyes and made her way to the Lancia as well. "Su cos'era tutto questo?", Ernesto asked as he sat down in the drivers seat. "Doveva essere detto", Sara simply responded and took the seat beside him.

* * *

Si andrà bene. - Everything will be fine.  
Spero che tu abbia ragione. - I hope you're right.  
Wir sind am falschen Platz! Zruck in den Vatikan! - We are at the wrong place, back to the Vatican.  
Di qua! - This way.  
Va bene e che cosa abbiamo intenzione di fare ora? - Right, and what are we going to do now?  
Su cos'era tutto questo? - What was that?  
Doveva essere detto. - It had to be said.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** I can't believe it's been seven months since I last updated this story - I'm so awfully sorry! I had a bit of a writer's block, but after visiting Rome and visiting all the beautiful places from Angels &amp; Demons last summer, I promised myself to continue writing this story. So, here is chapter 6.

* * *

Two minutes before nine pm they arrived at St. Peter's Square. "Check the crowd. It's almost 9. He's gotta be here already," Robert ordered and while Richter, Ernesto and Sara searched through the crowd for a possible assassin, Robert and Vittoria kept watch for a statue about air. Marksmen were already lining up on the wall of St. Peter's Square, ready to shoot when they were told to. The square was full of people and it was hard to push through the crowd. Every person could be the suspect. How were they supposed to find the right person in the right time? Then a piercing scream sounded through the square. "It's a child," Sara muttered to herself in utter shock. The crowd instantly screamed for help as everyone made their way towards the location. Robert and Vittoria were the first ones to reach the injured priest.

"He's still alive," Vittoria said as she knelt beside him and started with the mouth-to-mouth respiration. As she did so, blood splashed all over the place, part of it onto Robert, which made him scrunch his nose. "His chest. They punctured his lungs."

As the ambulance finally arrived, it was already too late. Another horrible sight to witness. Another preferiti dead. For what? To prove a point?

Robert pulled a shocked Vittoria to her feet and she clung to his side.

Vittoria sat on a chair, a cup of tea in her hands and a jacket around her shoulders to keep her warm. The death of the latest preferiti had shocked her more than she had thought. Sara stood at the huge window in the room, looking out at St. Peter's Square on which the carabinieri were busy clearing out the piazza. She was half listening to the Camerlengo reading out loud the letter Richter had found beside the corpse.

_"… __from within your walls to squeeze life form the Bishop._ He's actually claiming responsibility for the death of His Holiness. That's ridiculous. He died of a stroke."

"It implies the Illuminati murdered him with his own medication," Ernesto said, pointing at the significant line in the letter. "Down here. _With man's solution we stilled his heart. With his own needle did we pierce his unholy veil._ Did the Holy Father take any kind of medication by injection?"

"Tinzaparin," Patrick answered. "He had thrombophlebitis. He took an injection every day. But no one knew that."

"Someone knew."

"Well, he had health concerns and seizures as well. But he took steps to make sure he was watched, for safety. He didn't want it made public, so we have no reason to discuss it," Richter countered.

"Tinzaparin is lethal in the wrong dosage. An overdose could cause massive internal bleeding and brain haemorrhages. It might look like a stroke at first, but in a few days his body would show signs. This could easily be examined," Vittoria interposed.

"Miss Vettra in case you're not aware of it papal autopsy is prohibited by Vatican law. We're not going to defile His Holiness's body just because his enemies claim…"

"But why would they send this letter now?" Ernesto interrupted Richter midsentence.

"Well, to cause panic," Patrick suggested. "_The sun will blind at midnight and neither police nor professors can stop it."_

"He knows I'm here."

"Obviously they were hoping this letter would become public. We might be wise to pre-empt their next attempt by making an announcement of our own to refute this absurd claim."

"That's out of the question," Father Simeon interrupted. "Cardinal Strauss has insisted this entire matter be kept internal."

"He shouldn't even be aware of it. He's locked in conclave," Patrick returned.

"His final instructions before sealing the doors were very clear."

"Cardinal Strauss does not dictate Vatican protocols."

"As you say, yet, technically now that conclave has begun it's his privilege and duty to control public announcements. I've drafted a release about the incident in the piazza but any other statements are specifically prohibited. For that, Cardinal has asked me to remind you we have a chimney."

Sara caught Richter smiling at Father Simeons response. What was it with the ego fights? She simply rolled her eyes and kept looking out of the window.

"Commander Richter, the search for the device?" Patrick then wanted to know.

"Well, we've turned the power on and off to about 20 percent of Vatican City. Nothing on the video yet."

"We're running out of options. How long would you need to evacuate everyone?"

"If I pull all my men from the search for the bomb, 30 minutes," with that Richter left the room. "Mr. Langdon. You have been right so far about the path. It's now 9:15. How quickly can you find the next church?" Patrick turned his attention to Robert who had been studying a map of Rome in the meantime. "The lines on the carving pointed east, away from Vatican City. But there were five of them, so there's room for error. About 20 churches intersect those lines. None of them have names that invoke fire. So a Bernini sculpture must be inside one of them that does. We'll need to get into the archives to find it."

"Would you escort Mr. Landgon?" Patrick asked of Ernesto, who nodded. "Yes, Father." Before they left someone handed Vittoria a briefcase, which held the journals from Geneva inside. "Silvano's journals. The killer's name could be in here. May I stay?"

"Please. Fine, of course", Patrick nodded.

With his eyes, Robert checked if she would be okay and Vittoria reassured him by nodding her head. The others instantly left for the archives again. "Voglio che lo accompagnano," Ernesto whispered beside Sara and she nodded, knowing exactly why he sent her with him.

* * *

Voglio che lo accompagnano. - I want you to go with him.


End file.
